


Master of romance

by evakuality



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:21:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28645923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evakuality/pseuds/evakuality
Summary: Isak can't help it; he's competitive.  So when he realises Even's better at romance than he is, he's not too happy about it.  What can he do to take the title of 'romance Master'?
Relationships: Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen
Comments: 12
Kudos: 114





	Master of romance

It’s actually impossible to out-romance Even, Isak is discovering to his disgust. It pushes against all his instincts not to compete and be the best, so the fact that Even is so effortlessly good at it is a constant source of aggravation. Which is annoying in itself, because Even finds Isak’s grumpiness to be delightful for some reason and so he seemingly encourages Isak’s doomed competitiveness and his consequent irritability.

_ It’s been a month since we first kissed, Isak. Let’s recreate that in a bath. _

_ It’s seven weeks since we first showered together.  _ This is accompanied by suggestive eyebrow wiggles as he tries, successfully, to entice Isak into another shower with him.

_ It’s our five week anniversary. We need to go out to celebrate. _

_ It’s been two months since our first blow job. I think it’s time you got another one to celebrate.  _ This time, going out of his way to make it the most toe-curling thing Isak’s ever felt in his _ life. _

Even delights in a constant celebration of every little aspect of their lives together. He remembers all the small moments just as well as all the big ones. It’s no longer a mystery to Isak how he managed to memorise the entire Qur’an. Even just seems to soak up details like every single one matters as much as every other one.

And then he’s so damn good at also spilling all his feelings about them out and showering affection over Isak in the wake of every single one. It should, by rights, be annoying, stripping everything of meaning when it all means the same. But Even can articulate with such intensity  _ why _ each one is important that they are instead imbued with extra meaning. Which makes him doubly romantic. And doubly annoying

And like, Isak can be romantic too. Eskild even mentions it sometimes in tones of awe that Isak actually cares about something so much, which is frankly insulting. Because Isak isn’t  _ that _ shitty at being a decent, sweet, nice person. And he knows, deep inside, that Even isn’t going to run out on him because he’s not celebrating moments every three seconds. He  _ knows _ that. 

It’s just that Isak’s romance runs to remembering what Even likes to eat, finding a meme and sending it to him, or giving him the best bloody blow job of his life. And while everything he does for Even means something, Isak still feels new enough at this relationship thing to feel a bit vulnerable about whether he’s doing a good enough job for someone like Even. Someone who sees value in all the tiny details that Isak barely even sees let alone thinks to celebrate.

In the end, Isak gives up. It runs counter to his quest to be the very best at everything. The fucking  _ Master. _ But he has to admit that Even is just better at this stuff than he is. So it is that Even finds him sitting morosely in the middle of the bed one day, papers and books scattered around him and feeling decidedly grouchy.

“Hey, baby,” Even says, coming into the room and chucking his bag right into its usual corner before climbing onto the bed and shimmying over to where Isak’s sitting. “Guess what day it is today?”

His heart sinking, Isak knows what’s coming. It’s another one of Even’s fucking amazing romantic gestures.

“I don’t know,” Isak says, and he can hear the testiness in his voice. He winces at his own bad temper. 

“It’s been 137 days since I first saw you in the school cafeteria.”

Isak blinks at him, still in awe even through his own moroseness, that Even can just  _ do _ that. That he can just know these things and imbue them with meaning. He sighs.

“I wish I could do that,” he says quietly, letting his legs fall open so that Even can slide in between them for a cuddle. He pulls Isak’s thighs up and over his own, holding his fingers just above Isak’s knees.

“Do what?”

“Remember that shit. Be all romantic like you.” Isak huffs. “I’m sorry I can’t do it.”

Even sits back at that, blinking at Isak in clear consternation. He rubs his fingers on Isak’s legs, a soothing pattern that Isak has come to know and love over their time together, and he lets his own fingers drop to curl in between Even’s, to gain some sort of comfort.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Even says. “I don’t expect you to be like me.”

Isak growls. “I  _ should _ be the fucking master at this, though. You deserve romantic shit too.”

Even laughs at that, making Isak scowl even deeper. “Baby. I said I don’t expect you to be like me, not that I don’t expect romantic shit.”

That just makes it worse. Far from being the master of romance, Isak’s failing spectacularly because Even  _ expects _ romance and Isak knows he’s shit at it and doesn’t do it anywhere near as much as Even deserves. And now he finds out that Even expects something he’s not getting. He leans his forehead on Even’s shoulder and growls again.

“You don’t have to rub it in how I’m shit at this.”

Isak feels gentle fingers on his cheek, slipping down to cup under his chin and force his head up so he has to look at Even.

“Hey, baby, where is this coming from? This is just a little joking thing we do; it’s not a big deal.”

Huffing again, Isak tries to avoid looking at Even but that’s close to impossible because his eyes are stupidly blue today and he’s got  _ that _ look on his face, the one that guarantees Isak melts into a puddle. The one that says Isak is something infinitely precious and delightful.

“I just… you’re so good at the romantic stuff. So thoughtful, and you remember literally everything. And I’m shit at it and I can’t give you what you expect. What you deserve.”

“Can I tell you a story, Isak?”

Blinking at this non-sequitur, Isak nods. “Sure.”

Even shuffles them around until he’s lying with his head on the pillow and Isak is tucked up next to him, his arm wrapped firmly around Isak’s body as if to keep him there, and Isak’s books and papers dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Even’s kicked off his shoes, too, and wriggled out of the socks Isak knows he hates wearing. He’s settling for a long haul. Whatever this story is, it’s going to take some time it seems.

“Okay so,” Even says eventually. “There was once this boy who felt quite shit. You know? He had a girlfriend and it was nice and all, but he also had a mental illness. And after a time the girlfriend saw him as mostly just his illness and he felt trapped and out of sorts. Like he didn’t fit in. Worse, he had to change schools because he was quite an asshole one time with the illness and staying where he was ended up being too much for him.”

“Even, I know this story! You don’t need to go over it, if-”

“Shhh. I haven’t finished.” He settles Isak with a quick kiss, following it up with a fond rub of his fingertips over Isak’s lips. “Anyway, at his new school the boy met another boy. And that boy became a bright light in his life. Because, you see, that boy treated the first one as if he mattered.”

“Even! Of course you matter!”

Even shrugs, dropping the pretence of the third person. He takes a deep breath and stares at the ceiling, pensive now. “It didn’t feel like it at the time. That’s why I tried to hide it. It seemed like if I could pretend to be someone else then I could find a life. Then I could maybe matter to someone.”

“Baby, you’ll always matter to me. Always. Remember, it’s just minute by minute if we need to.”

Even kisses him again. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Baby, when I say I expect romance this is what I mean. You, the way you treat me, is romantic. You care about  _ me, _ and you can cut through my bullshit when I need it.”

“But that’s just part of being a boyfriend.”

“Maybe to you,” Even says, smiling. “But it’s not always like that. The fact that you see this as just how to be,  _ that’s _ what makes it romantic. You see me, you know me. And you always think about me.”

“But it’s not flowers and chocolates. It’s not remembering every little detail. It’s not  _ properly _ romantic.”

Even shakes his head, rolling them so he has Isak under him and can look down at him. He traces Isak’s face with his eyes, a glimmering happiness sitting behind those eyes. 

“It  _ is,” _ Even insists. “There’s no scientific study that can determine what’s the best way to be romantic. I remember all the little things, yeah. I like to celebrate them. I like to share those moments and memories with you. It makes me happy to share that with you. But that’s only one way to be romantic.” 

He kisses Isak, lingering over his lips, pressing his feelings into Isak as if he can make him understand through sheer will. 

“Your way is so perfect, Isak,” he continues. “Your way shows you understand  _ me, _ who  _ I _ am. You make my coffee exactly the way I like every day. You know just by looking whether I can deal with being around other people. You fucking say the right thing to get through to me when I feel like I’m not worth it. You see me. And that’s like the  _ most _ romantic thing.”

“I… uh. I didn’t think about it like that,” Isak says, melting into Even’s embrace, letting his own fingers wander, to slide in under Even’s shirt. 

“I never stop thinking about it,” Even says, pressing his body in closer to Isak’s, letting him feel exactly how much he does like this. It’s heady and disorientating for Isak to know Even feels this way. His voice is getting breathy when he continues. “I share my little memories so often because it’s the only way I can match the way you just pour all this romantic shit out like it’s easy.”

He kisses Isak again, purposeful now. There’s heat building and Isak’s starting to feel light headed. Trying to re-calibrate his thoughts to slot this new information in is hard enough without Even’s very interesting ministrations on his lips which are now moving to his neck, making him gasp.

Even feels like Isak’s romantic gestures are so constant that he pours his own out so freely  _ because _ of that? That’s… that’s fucking amazing.

“So what you’re telling me,” Isak says on another soft gasp as Even’s lips play over his neck and he rolls his hips suggestively, “is that I  _ am _ actually the master of romance?”

Even groans, Isak’s not sure if it’s from the way he just rolled his own hips up into Even’s or if it’s due to Isak claiming to be the master. Either way, he’s proud of the effect he’s having. He laughs quietly, pulling Even more closely into him, pressing his hardness into Even’s.

“Okay, romance master,” Even says. “If you insist.” He pauses, slips his fingers into the waistband of Isak’s sweatpants while sucking on Isak’s neck in a very toe-curling way which he’s sure is going to leave a mark. “Can we celebrate my 137 day’s anniversary now? I wanted to fuck you that day, and I’d love to actually do it today in memory of my blue balls.”

“Wow,” Isak says, laughing at Even’s playful insinuations. “That’s so romantic.”

“I know,” Even says, kissing him again. “That’s why I’m also the master of romance!” He wriggles his eyebrows in a way Isak knows is supposed to be both suggestively sexy and unutterably goofy. “So can we? Celebrate, I mean?”

He squeezes Isak to indicate what he means, making him suck in another shuddering breath. Isak runs his fingers up and into Even’s hair, tugging on it and eliciting another of those glorious gasps as he reciprocates with his own ministrations on a particularly sensitive spot on Even’s neck. “Yeah,” he says, pushing at Even’s shirt insistently with his other hand. “We can celebrate your anniversary now.”


End file.
